Method and apparatus for manufacturing cork board and artificial lumber



M. SHIKATA LQBMMO METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CORK BOARD ANDARTIFICIAL LUMBER Nova 21, 1933.

Filed Oct. 22, 1950 Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICELUMBER Masuzo Shikata, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, Japan Application October 22,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing asubstitute for cork board and wooden board or lumber, the method beingcharacterized by filling a compressor with a mass of vegetable fibrousmaterial such as peat or tundra, and compressing said mass by speciallypassing an electric current to a pair of electrodes attached to saidcompressor. The object of the invention is to manufacture a corksubstitute and other artificial lumber from vegetable fibrous materialeasily and economically by inducing disturbance and destruction of theconstruction of ions and organic matters on the surface of the rawmaterial and taking advantage of that disturbance to apply pressurethereto.

According to this invention a compressor having a perforated casing isprovided with a pair of electrodes movable downwardly within thecompressor by means of a press board. The gaps between the twoelectrodes and between the lower electrode and the bottom of the casingare filled with vegetable fibrous material containing water. Saidelectrodes passing electric current, are caused to undergo electricosmotic action or the 5 disturbance and destruction of the surfaceconstruction of ions and organic matters on the surface of the rawmaterial. Taking advantage of this disturbance and destruction, pressureis exerted on said press board. Thus, a substitute for cork board andother artificial lumber can be manufactured from vegetable fibrousmaterial containing water, such as peat or tundra."

. The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically a longitudinal frontview of an apparatus used for carrying out the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus as herein illustrated comprisesa casing 1 of wood or other insulating material having in its side walla plurality of perforations 2 to provide for drainage. The casing issupported on a base block 12 in opposite sides of which are secured apair of supporting rods or standards 13 and which pass throughperforated ears carried by the casing 1 and extend upward to a pointsubstantially above said casing. A hydraulic press having a cylinder3*and a base member 14 perforated to receive the upper ends of said rods13 is supported on spacing sleeves l3 encircling the rods, said basemember being securely retained in position by nuts 13 threaded on theends of the rods. The hydraulic press 3 is provided with a piston rod 16carrying at its upper end a piston 4 reciprocable in the cylinder 3 ofthe press and at its lower end a press board 5 of wood or other in- 55sulating material. A pair of perforated electrodes 1930. Serial No.490,387

6 and '7, formed of lead, nickel, iron or carbon, are disposed formovement within the casing 1 and each provided with an extension 8 onwhich is mounted an electric terminal 9. The electrode '7 extendsthrough an elongated opening 15 in the side wall of the casing 1. Itwill be understood that the block 12, the rods 13, press cylinder 3 andits base member 14, as well as the piston rod 16, are all made of ironor other conducting material.

Between the two electrodes 6 and '7 is disposed a mass watersoakedtundra 10 and between the electrode 7 and the bottom of the casing 1 isdisposed a similar mass of water-soaked tundra 11.

If current is then passed to the electrodes 6 and 7, a circuit includingthe mass of tundra 10 and the electrode '7 is established, and at thesame time owing to the imperfectness of insulation a circuit includingthe mass tundra 11, push board 5, piston rod 16, supporting piece 14,standard 13, block 12 and perforated casing 1, and the electrode 7 isalso established.

Thus, when current is passed to said electrodes and the push board 5 ispressed the tundra 10 and 11 will be gradually dehydrated and at thesame time pressed into a board, as the push board 5, electrode 6, tundra10 and electrode 7 gradually come down. Thus, by continuing the aboveoperation for a suitable period of time, it is possible to manufacturesubstitutes for cork and wooden board easily from tundra containingwater.

It has been demonstrated in practice that by the use of an alternatingcurrent of 100 volts and about 9.3 ampere (effective value) per 1 squaredecimeter and maintaining the pressure at about 50 lbs. per square inchfor a period of about 4. hours, a fiat board was obtained containingabout 40% of water from tundra or other peats which contained nearly ofwater before the treatment. The fiat board thus treated may have itswater content decreased to about 10% easily by natural or fire-drying.The product thus obtained possesses big insulating capacity, elasticityand sound-proofing properties. It is, therefore, very suitable as a corkboard substitute. Further, it is well suited for wall board, ceilingboard and floor board, as substitutes for veneer board and generalwooden boards. In this case, if alternating current or superposedcurrent is used, it will disturb and destroy the construction of thesurface such as ions and organic matters on the surface of the tundraand consequently the tundra will be consolidated easily by the combinedaction of the electric current and the press. If desired, direct currentmay be used insurface is disturbed and destroyed. afterpassingalternating electric current through stead of A. (3., for theformation of the board under the combined effect of the electro-osmosisas well as electric disturbance and destruction, although such effectwill be in a lower degree than when alternating current is used.

The ions contained in vegetable fibrous material containing water, suchas peat or tundra, are hydrogen ion, natrium ion, calcium ion, potassiumions, etc., and the organic matters to be suspended in their solution orcolloidal states are lignine, the decomposition products forming thevegetable constituent of the original plants of peat. Although theseorganic materials and inorganic ions are arranged in a certain way onthe surface of the solid and liquid phases in the ordinary state, theyare disturbed and destroyed electrically when they enter the electricfield.

To state the matter briefly, when water is passed through a layer oftundra under a certain pressure, the velocity of its passage isaccelerated or retarded under direct electric current pressure accordingto the direction of the pole by socalled electrical osmosis phenomenon,while under alternating current the velocity of fall of water is alwaysretarded, this retarding effect being recognizable for nearly 15 minutesafter the current is cut off. This may be taken as showing that theconstruction of the surface is restored to its normal condition infifteen minutes after it is disturbed and the electric current is cut01?. Next, upon comparing the water obtained by applying pressure totundra to which water has'been added, with'the water obtained byapplying pressure andalternating current to tundra which contains thesame quantity of water, the quantity of inorganic matter contained inthe water in the latter case is far greater than in the former. Thisclearly indicates that the construction of the Further,

tundra, if we take a certain quantity of the tundra and draw itsdehydration curve under a certain reduced pressure and at a certaintemperature, it contains a considerably smaller quantity of water thanthe tundra which has not been treated or has received pressure and heat.This is because the dehydration has increased owing to the disturbanceand destruction of the surface, that is-to say, a proof of thedisturbance of the surface.

Moreover, if a high electric resistance board is inserted into theinterior of tundra and other peat layers, it will not only increase theefliciency of the electric power, but will also improve thequality ofthe product, because the presence of the high resistance board decreasesthe amount of current consumed in the discharge of inorganic and organicions and thus not only equalizes the electric field to be received bythe peat layers, but also prevents the ununiform distribution of theions due to their migration.

I claim: I

1. The method of manufacturing cock-board substitute and artificiallumber, which consists in filling a compressor with water-soaked peathaving a high electrical resistance board inserted therein, and thendehydrating and consolidating said peat into the form of a board bypassing. an electric current and at the same time applying pressurethereto.

2. An apparatus for manufacturing boards from a mass of water-soakedpeat, comprising a perforated casing of insulating material'adapted tobe filled with said peat mass, a pair of electrodes movably disposed insuperposed relation in said casing, one of said electrodes dividing thepeat mass into two portions, a press board movable in the casing, meansfor exerting pressure on said board, the upper electrode being connectedwith the press board, and means for passing an electric current to saidelectrodes whereby the water-soaked peatis' subjected to electrical andpressing actions simultaneously.

MASUZO s 'm.

